Antioxidants are essential in your body to neutralise free radicals, which are those harmful metabolic by-products that damage cells and tissues throughout your body.

There are two broad categories into which anti-oxidants can be classified: water-soluble (hydrophilic) and lipid-soluble (hydrophobic). If you want to successfully fight and help neutralise the damaging effects of free radicals, you need both types of antioxidants, from as many sources as possible. The efficacy of water and lipid-soluble antioxidants are enhanced when taken together, so ensuring your diet & supplements provide you with both are very important.

Water-soluble antioxidants include resveratrol, pycnogenol, vitamin C, glutathione and astaxanthin. It is present in aqueous fluids, such as blood and intracellular and extracellular fluids. Water-soluble antioxidants protect the fluids inside the cell and outside the cell (including blood and lymph fluids).

Lipid / Fat soluble antioxidants such as astaxanthin, vitamin E, vitamin A, and beta-carotene are localised to cellular membranes and lipoproteins. These antioxidants protect cell membranes from lipid peroxidation and furthermore protect the walls (or membranes) of our cells since they are comprised of cholesterol.

It is important to note that just because astaxanthin and resveratrol are considered the best antioxidants in their class it does not mean we do not need any of the other antioxidants. All antioxidants are valuable to the human body and often work synergistically or target different areas of our body.

Free radicals are unstable molecules and have a positive charge, due to the loss of an electron. Because they are positively charged and missing electrons, they are referred to as scavengers and will “steal” electrons from other atoms. This results in the creation of more free radicals as previously stable atoms loose electrons to a free radical atom and it is a vicious continuous process. This domino-like effect disrupts all normal bodily functions leading to cell decay and death, malfunction (e.g., abnormal cancerous cell growth), and eventually illness, chronic disease, or chronic inflammation.

Unfortunately, it does not matter how healthy a lifestyle we lead or how healthy our diet is if we are exposed to dangerous free radicals every day because our normal bodily functions (breathing, metabolism, and physical activity) naturally generate free radicals. To make matters worse our own immune systems generates free radicals to help neutralise viruses and bacteria.

Resveratrol can be considered the king of the water-soluble antioxidants. Resveratrol activates a gene called sirtuin 1, which is the same gene that's activated during calorie restriction. Since scientists already know they can extend lifespan in various species of animals by restricting calories, this has exciting implications for humans.

It is very interesting to note that resveratrol appears to produce many of the same benefits as exercise! One benefit in particular, is its ability to help promote normal healthy insulin levels. Insulin resistance speeds up the aging process, so if you can maintain healthy insulin levels, you can potentially help promote the longevity of cells and tissues.

What is really amazing with this anti-oxidant is that it not only neutralises harmful free radicals, but in addition is can cross the blood-brain barrier to help protect your brain and nervous system too.

Resveratrol has been referred to as the 'fountain of youth'! It has been labelled a miracle ingredient, and the greatest discovery since antibiotics. This anti-oxidant is the purple pigment in the skin and seeds of grapes, plums, blueberries, cranberries, black berries, raspberries, strawberries, bilberries, acai berries, black currant, red currant, black mulberries, lingonberries, pomegranates, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, cacao (where chocolate comes from).

Though resveratrol is also found in red wine which is made from fermented red or purple grapes, you would need to drink several bottles of wine per day to get the anticipated benefit from resveratrol. Drinking large amounts of wine or other alcoholic beverages increases your insulin levels and can eventually lead to diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, kidney, liver, or pancreatic disease, B-vitamin deficiency, alcoholism addiction, and a host of other problems. This is all great but there is a red flag we have to raise - watch out for too much sugar and fructose.

If you overdo your fruit consumption, even berries, you risk releasing too much sugar into your system. This could cause your insulin levels to rise and eventually your health could worsen instead of improving. So, moderation is the key when eating fruit. Enjoying a half-cup serving of a fruit that's relatively low in sugar, like blueberries, can help boost your antioxidant intake but help keep your insulin levels in check as well. However, just like you need to be careful on how much and the types of fruit you eat, the same holds true with vegetables (such as roccoli, greens, beans, artichokes, and onions).

For all health conditions, the nutraceuticals are individually tailored by the Health Renewal Doctor. The doctor will decide- based on your history, physical examination and blood tests what would be the best for you and your specific needs and/or deficiencies.

Please do not self-medicate. Self-Medicating is done when a person takes prescription medication or nutraceuticals on their own without a doctor's supervision and/or consent. By not having a physical examination and blood testing done by a qualified medical practitioner, you could be not treating vital deficiencies or conditions such as elevated blood pressure and high sugar levels. In addition, there is no single supplement given to clients as there is no magic bullet that can support all the essential nutrients that one's body needs.

Health Renewals nutraceuticals are FREE OF: gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast, sugar, sodium, artificial flavour, sweetener, and preservatives. At Health Renewal we recommend that all our supplements (especially the fish oils ) have been certified to be free of heavy metal contaminants like mercury, PCB's, contaminants and are NOT rancid.

Antioxidants are essential in your body to neutralise free radicals, which are those harmful metabolic by-products that damage cells and tissues throughout your body.

There are two broad categories into which anti-oxidants can be classified: water-soluble (hydrophilic) and lipid-soluble (hydrophobic). If you want to successfully fight and help neutralise the damaging effects of free radicals, you need both types of antioxidants, from as many sources as possible. The efficacy of water and lipid-soluble antioxidants are enhanced when taken together, so ensuring your diet & supplements provide you with both are very important.

Water-soluble antioxidants include resveratrol, pycnogenol, vitamin C, glutathione and astaxanthin. It is present in aqueous fluids, such as blood and intracellular and extracellular fluids. Water-soluble antioxidants protect the fluids inside the cell and outside the cell (including blood and lymph fluids).

Lipid / Fat soluble antioxidants such as astaxanthin, vitamin E, vitamin A, and beta-carotene are localised to cellular membranes and lipoproteins. These antioxidants protect cell membranes from lipid peroxidation and furthermore protect the walls (or membranes) of our cells since they are comprised of cholesterol.

It is important to note that just because astaxanthin and resveratrol are considered the best antioxidants in their class it does not mean we do not need any of the other antioxidants. All antioxidants are valuable to the human body and often work synergistically or target different areas of our body.

Free radicals are unstable molecules and have a positive charge, due to the loss of an electron. Because they are positively charged and missing electrons, they are referred to as scavengers and will “steal” electrons from other atoms. This results in the creation of more free radicals as previously stable atoms loose electrons to a free radical atom and it is a vicious continuous process. This domino-like effect disrupts all normal bodily functions leading to cell decay and death, malfunction (e.g., abnormal cancerous cell growth), and eventually illness, chronic disease, or chronic inflammation.

Unfortunately, it does not matter how healthy a lifestyle we lead or how healthy our diet is if we are exposed to dangerous free radicals every day because our normal bodily functions (breathing, metabolism, and physical activity) naturally generate free radicals. To make matters worse our own immune systems generates free radicals to help neutralise viruses and bacteria.

Resveratrol can be considered the king of the water-soluble antioxidants. Resveratrol activates a gene called sirtuin 1, which is the same gene that's activated during calorie restriction. Since scientists already know they can extend lifespan in various species of animals by restricting calories, this has exciting implications for humans.

It is very interesting to note that resveratrol appears to produce many of the same benefits as exercise! One benefit in particular, is its ability to help promote normal healthy insulin levels. Insulin resistance speeds up the aging process, so if you can maintain healthy insulin levels, you can potentially help promote the longevity of cells and tissues.

What is really amazing with this anti-oxidant is that it not only neutralises harmful free radicals, but in addition is can cross the blood-brain barrier to help protect your brain and nervous system too.

Resveratrol has been referred to as the 'fountain of youth'! It has been labelled a miracle ingredient, and the greatest discovery since antibiotics. This anti-oxidant is the purple pigment in the skin and seeds of grapes, plums, blueberries, cranberries, black berries, raspberries, strawberries, bilberries, acai berries, black currant, red currant, black mulberries, lingonberries, pomegranates, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, cacao (where chocolate comes from).

Though resveratrol is also found in red wine which is made from fermented red or purple grapes, you would need to drink several bottles of wine per day to get the anticipated benefit from resveratrol. Drinking large amounts of wine or other alcoholic beverages increases your insulin levels and can eventually lead to diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, kidney, liver, or pancreatic disease, B-vitamin deficiency, alcoholism addiction, and a host of other problems. This is all great but there is a red flag we have to raise - watch out for too much sugar and fructose.

If you overdo your fruit consumption, even berries, you risk releasing too much sugar into your system. This could cause your insulin levels to rise and eventually your health could worsen instead of improving. So, moderation is the key when eating fruit. Enjoying a half-cup serving of a fruit that's relatively low in sugar, like blueberries, can help boost your antioxidant intake but help keep your insulin levels in check as well. However, just like you need to be careful on how much and the types of fruit you eat, the same holds true with vegetables (such as roccoli, greens, beans, artichokes, and onions).

For all health conditions, the nutraceuticals are individually tailored by the Health Renewal Doctor. The doctor will decide- based on your history, physical examination and blood tests what would be the best for you and your specific needs and/or deficiencies.

Please do not self-medicate. Self-Medicating is done when a person takes prescription medication or nutraceuticals on their own without a doctor's supervision and/or consent. By not having a physical examination and blood testing done by a qualified medical practitioner, you could be not treating vital deficiencies or conditions such as elevated blood pressure and high sugar levels. In addition, there is no single supplement given to clients as there is no magic bullet that can support all the essential nutrients that one's body needs.

Health Renewals nutraceuticals are FREE OF: gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast, sugar, sodium, artificial flavour, sweetener, and preservatives. At Health Renewal we recommend that all our supplements (especially the fish oils ) have been certified to be free of heavy metal contaminants like mercury, PCB's, contaminants and are NOT rancid.

Please note: the information contained on this page is not meant to diagnose any condition or provide conclusive treatment options for a given condition. The final decision on treatments and diagnosis can only be made after a full history is obtained in person, and a physical examination is done.